Holiday's Serious Side On Tap

FREETIME

Sure, Memorial Day means picnics and family fun, but it has a serious side.

Veterans groups in Palm Beach County will sponsor memorial services this weekend to remember those who died for their country.

Memorial Day service schedules appear to be light, however.

"What happens on Memorial Day weekends is you have so much competition for long weekend holidays," said Bill Baggett, vice president of Royal Palm Memorial Gardens, which holds the largest Memorial Day event in the county. "You have the Indianapolis 500, if you have good weather, people go to the beaches. We just say, just take a few hours a year to honor the veterans who gave their lives to defend our country and others."

Here's some of the memorial services scheduled: -The West Boca Veterans Council will sponsor a memorial service at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Veterans Park, 9400 Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton.

Seven organizations are participating in the ceremony, including the American Ex-Prisoners of War, the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Jewish War Veterans, the Marine Corps League and others.

Commander Herbert Aronin, president of the veterans' council and grand marshal of the service, estimates about 300 people will attend. The ceremonies include bagpipe players, the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office rifle team, and the laying of a wreath at the monument in the park.

Chris Noel, founder of the Vetsville Ceasefire House for homeless veterans, will perform. She is well-known to Vietnam veterans from her tours and performances in Vietnam.

-The Royal Palm Memorial Gardens service at 1 p.m. Sunday has come a long way from its first services 32 years ago.

When Baggett first joined Royal Palm Memorial Gardens 28 years ago, three wreaths were laid during the ceremonies. Now 40 veterans organizations and patriotic organizations will lay wreaths. That includes two veterans of World War I. Color guards and honor guards from 22 organizations will march for the opening ceremony. About 1,000 people are expected.

"Ours is the largest attended service in the state of Florida," Baggett said. "We schedule it on Sunday so it can be a countywide service."

Keynote speaker is Rear Adm. William P. Leahy, Jr., commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District in Miami, who directed the two largest peacetime search and rescue operations in Coast Guard history: the rescue of 20,000 Haitians and 30,000 Cubans from the sea.

The third veterans monument at the memorial gardens will be unveiled at the ceremony. It is 12 feet high and includes the words to Taps, which most people don't know, as Baggett points out.

The Memorial Gardens are at 5601 Greenwood Ave., West Palm Beach, just north of St. Mary's Hospital and 45th Street. Take I-95 north to the 45th Street exit and go east about two miles.

For more information, call 848-8659 or 1-800-444-3836.

-Dreher Park Zoo will honor veterans with a ceremony at 4 p.m. Sunday. The ceremony includes representatives from the American Legion, the VFW, the Vietnam Veterans of America and the state president of the VFW Auxiliary.

Veterans are admitted free to the zoo on Sunday in honor of Memorial Day. Admission for adults is usually $5.50.

The zoo is at 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach. Call 533-0887 for more information.